Chirped laser dispersion spectroscopy sensitivity booster

US10656083B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• THE TRUSTEES OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · US

Inventors

• Genevieve Plant · Princeton, US
• Yifeng Chen · Taizhou City, CN
• Gerard Wysocki · Princeton, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 6, 2017
• Grant date: May 19, 2020
• Expiry date: Jun 6, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2021/451
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A sensitivity boosted laser dispersion spectroscopy system for sensing a sample in a sample cell or in an open path crossing the sample. The system includes a local oscillator arm and a sample arm containing the sample cell or the open path crossing the sample. A laser source is configured to generate a first light beam directed along the sample arm and a second light beam, the second light beam being frequency shifted and directed along the local oscillator arm. An intensity modulator/phase modulator/frequency shifter is disposed in the sample arm configured to generate a multi-frequency beam having known frequency spacing which is then passed through the sample cell to generate a sample arm output. A beam combiner is configured to combine the sample arm output and the second light beam from the local oscillator arm and generate a combined beam. A photodetector is configured to detect the combined beam for sensing the sample in the sample cell.